While B.J.'s tracking down a
few more local root cellars/springhouses for me to include in my $10 Root Cellar ebook, I've started on another
project to keep myself occupied. I feel a bit self-indulgent with
this one, so I thought I'd check in and see if any of you are
interested.
Several readers have
emailed or commented in the last year or two to say that they got
sucked into our blog so deeply that they went back into the archives
and read through all the way from the beginning. That reminded me that
one of my few regrets is that we didn't start this blog at the same
time we started the farm, so even those hard-core readers aren't seeing
the true beginning. On the other hand, I do
have some earlier photos and journals that could be turned into an
ebook....
What I'm not sure about
is whether that ebook would be helpful to anyone, or whether it would
be just another farm memoir. Plus, my working title (Walden
Effect: The Early Years) needs serious help.
Suggestions? Am I wasting my time and should get back to
something serious like writing about chicken pastures or tips for
selling ebooks on Amazon? Or are you interested in hearing about
my rocky road to farm ownership?
(By the way, the photos
here are of old newspapers from the 1930s that coated the walls of the
old farmhouse pre-demolition.)
I loved that farmhouse. When I saw the photos on that post, you got my hopes up -- I thought you were going to write about history
I would call it Up A Creek -- then do some subtitle about Sinking Creek or Wetknee Farm.
Yes please! I've read through from the beginning and would love it!
I'm also one of those readers who went through the archives. Admittedly, more than one time have I searched through and reread your posts.
I would love to see you put an eBook out there that shows your journey from the beginning to present day. You could even update it with each new project/improvement or add a compilation of your projects that tie into 'The Beginning". That would also add a bit of extra income to the farm's cookie jar.
I would find it absolutely helpful as all of your blog posts have been. Being that I only came across this blog several months ago, I'm still slowly making my way through your archive to learn from your mistakes and your many successes. I've also recently bought your book and am still reading that as well. Oh, and your e-books! My family has been poking fun at me for always saying, "Anna [this]. Anna [that]." Haha!
I have to say what I love the most about reading your writings is that it's very personal and down-to-earth, but still so full of information both hands-on and scientific. You appear to have a similar personality type to my own, adding to the easy-to-digest aspect and making it easy for me to actually follow your instructions.
So honestly, anything you write, I'd be interested in reading!
I'm too "guilty as charged." I don't recall what Google search led me to your site initially, but I have also read all the posts over the last several months, and also check back regularly to keep up-to-date.
BTW, congrats on the Mother Earth News article!
PS: I'd be most curious to see "The Beginning!"
Warm regards from a fellow Virginian, Renee
I, too, read your blogs "cover to cover" once I found you (while looking for homesteading books on amazon two thanksgivings ago). Now it's what I read over morning coffee each day. I think you could easily have more than one book ahead of you from your blog: a farming memoir (an engaging read like The Blueberry Years or like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle), and something of a general get-started tutorial with chapters for the various topics (or a medium or advanced book on so many topics, too, frankly). I love farming memoirs, which can give life and inspiration, and a dose of reality, to farming/homesteading. So I guess it's up to you! You could combine the memoir and instructional books into something like what Kingsolver did, ending chapters of what is generally a memoir with the lesson learned, instructions, or recipes, etc.
I don't think Ive read all of your old post. I cant get enough of the new ones though. Even so, I'm very interested in your beginning. You were such an inspiration in me starting the things that I do. All your doings are a major curio for me.
Someone up above me mentioned something about a random google search as to how they found you. Or something like that, cant remember now that I'm typing. But I thought that kinda funny, since it was some fateful random googling that brought me here.
Im definitely one of those readers! Found the blog last year and read religiously every day. It took me a couple weeks but i ate up every single post you've made. At the beginning i always felt i was missing posts when you referred to the mule garden, or other projects from the early farm. My wife and 4 children will be following your footsteps in about three years when our 57 acres of farmland is paid off, and i'd be interested in avoiding any pitfalls you hit in the early days.
I laughed about how the other posted mentioned talking about y'all. I think my wife gets sick of hearing about "anna and mark" as well!
I personally would enjoy the beginning stories... How about " Finding Walden" . Or " becomming Walden" I have been to the original Walden Pond in Massachusetts... It is preserved still as a quiet idyllic haven in the midst of the city.
I will be starting over soon myself.
With all my hurculean efforts here to garden, and become as self sufficient as possible, it looks very likely we will be moving and all this will be wasted. I doubt seriously the next owner would put the time and energy into growing that i have. So, sort of sad. But we would be returning back to green, lush New England, where the main problem is keeping things from growing where you dont want them, rather than having to nurse every bit of plant life in hopes that something will grow.